The Tata Group-owned company's consolidated profit before exceptional items and tax fell 58% from last year to 238.5 million rupees ($2.87 million) in the three months to Dec. 31.

Expenses related to raw materials, jobs, and services climbed 55.6%, driving total costs up by about 35%.

Revenue from operations rose 31% to 26.26 billion rupees as warmer-than-usual weather boosted demand for air conditioners.

Voltas' key cooling products segment - which accounts for over half of the company's revenue and makes appliances like purifiers - reported a more-than-21% rise in revenue.

Rivals Blue Star reported a jump in third-quarter profit while Havells India reported a marginal growth in quarterly profit.

In the December-2022 quarter, Voltas had set aside 1.37 billion rupees for cancellation of contracts and encashment of a bank guarantee, leading to a net loss of 1.10 billion rupees.

The company made a net loss of 304.1 million rupees in the December-2023 quarter.

($1 = 83.1090 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Navamya Ganesh Acharya and Varun Vyas in Bengaluru; Editing by Sohini Goswami and Mrigank Dhaniwala)